Teaching for Immigrant Girls’ Inclusion: Social Justice Physical Education Teachers’ Involvement With School Stakeholders

Abstract

Purpose: This study seeks to analyze the involvement of the various stakeholders related to the educational context, namely school management team, teaching staff, families, and students, to foster the social inclusion of immigrant girls through their participation in physical activities. Methods: Data consisted of interviews and focus group sessions involving 19 physical education (PE) teachers from state primary schools in Catalonia, Spain. Results: The involvement of the stakeholders can foster greater inclusion of such immigrant girls through initiatives, such as: extracurricular physical activities specifically designed for them; the creation of specific spaces for their physical activities; a greater number of PE class hours for immigrant newcomer pupils; supportive feedback for these girls from PE teachers; and greater consideration of these girls’ interests and preference in PE programming. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the greater the degree of involvement and cohesion among the various parties, the higher the likelihood of successful social inclusion.